My wife left me on my thirty-first birthday. She took all of her cooking utensils, furniture, photos, and decorations with her. She abandoned me in an all-white apartment that was deserted. My bull terrier, whom she’d named Jimmy Choo after her favorite shoe designer, was the only thing she didn’t take. With only Jimmy to keep me company, I took inspiration from my blank walls and my best friend, and began photographing Jimmy Choo as he trotted and cavorted around the house in delight. I grabbed a marker and drew a new world around Jimmy’s ginger-eared pup when he collapsed in happy exhaustion next to the white wall. I suddenly felt his long-dormant enthusiasm for drawing, art, and life reawaken.
My bull terrier dreaming of shoes, relaxing on a sofa with a martini by his side, or turning canine DJ on the decks were all depicted in a series of amusing, tongue-in-cheek illustrations. The illustrations, which are set against a matte white background and contrasted with bright pops of iridescent color in hot pink, copper, and electric blue, are humorous and eye-catching. I compiled all of Jimmy’s best photos into one book, which will be released in October.
